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What are best practices for backup cloud repatriation?
To migrate backup data from the cloud back to an on-premises environment, you should follow these steps to ensure your data will be safe and smoothly moved.
Organizations are occasionally leaving cloud-based backup services to resume an on-premises workflow. There are several factors that can cause an organization to want to leave the cloud including security, cost, management, compliance issues and more.
Following these steps, as well as careful planning and coordination with your vendors and carriers, should ensure a smooth transition of your backup environment.
Why you should backup your data
Reasons for backup cloud repatriation might include the following:
- Financial. In the event of a reduction in budget funds.
- Operational. Management decision to centralize all IT functions.
- Security. Breach occurring at the cloud provider.
- Strategic. Merger or acquisition by another company that does not use cloud-based services.
How to back up your data
Assuming your organization is in the position of moving its backup activities from a cloud-based service to local storage, consider the following tips to ensure a smooth backup cloud repatriation transition:
Examine the current backup approach. Also, look at the schedule to determine how it will change in an on-site backup environment.
Review current recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives. This ensures the on-site backup arrangement can support those metrics.
Check capacity. Ensure the storage resources receiving the systems and data have sufficient capacity to accommodate your backed-up assets following the backup cloud repatriation.
Secure equipment. Locate the backup equipment in a secure space, with restricted access to the equipment, and sufficient HVAC facilities and fire detection and extinguishment equipment.
Examine power availability. Ensure sufficient primary and backup power is available, in the form of uninterruptible power system devices and external emergency power, such as a diesel or propane gas generator.
Ensure there is rack space. Ensure there is sufficient space on existing racks in the data center for the storage devices. If not, install additional racks.
Configure devices properly. If the backup arrangement uses a SAN, NAS or RAID arrangement, be sure those devices are properly configured and tested prior to being placed into production.
Create a migration schedule. Work with your cloud vendor to organize a schedule for migrating systems and data, determining which assets should transition first and those that can migrate later. Ensure that the security of systems and data is maintained.
Review network requirements. Work with your network services carrier to see what reconfigurations or reductions in service will be needed as a result of the backup cloud repatriation. Include those changes as part of the overall migration cutover plan.
Prepare a cutover plan. Work with your vendors and carriers to prepare a cutover plan for a smooth transition. In such a plan, you would do the following:
- Install and configure the new backup resources.
- Execute the phased migration.
- Test the backup technology to ensure backups are performed and confirmed.
- Launch the new backup schedule.
- Document the backup procedures.
- Review the new backup arrangement with management and employees as needed.
- Update backup policies as needed.
- Update business continuity, disaster recovery and other relevant plans as needed.
- Schedule an initial test of backup services within one month of the completed backup cloud repatriation.
